Teddy Bears and Valentines
by Paige M. Carter
Summary: Sara hates Valentine's Day, until she gets a special Valentine.


Title: Teddy Bears and Valentines

Author: Paige Sipowicz

Fandom: CSI

Pairing: Greg/Sara, a little implied Gil/Cath

Rating: K+

Spoilers: a blink and you'll miss it for Swap Meet. Daddy's Little Girl, Kiss Kiss Bye Bye

Category: Fluffy Romance, Humor.

Summary: Sara hates Valentine's Day, until she gets a very special Valentine.

Warning: None

Disclaimer: Don't own em, don't sue. I also don't own just borrowing the idea for some fun.

Feedback: No flames please.

Email: Note: I got this idea from A Vermont Commercial and thought this was something Greg would do for Sara.

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Sara sat up in bed with a groan, another Valentine's Day. Next to Christmas and Thanksgiving, her least favorite holiday. Christmas and Thanksgiving were all about families, something she hadn't had since she was nine. Even before her mother had stabbed her father to death, those days were always full of tension and misery, after her father died and her mother was in prison, the holidays lost what little joy there was. Holidays with foster parents weren't anywhere near fun because she was always the odd man out. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, she could feel the eyes of whichever foster family's relatives staring at her like she was from another planet. When she was in college, she'd gone home with a friend or boyfriend for the holidays. After those two miserable days, Valentine's was the worst. She usually didn't have a boyfriend who would be willing to buy her the things that most women got, and the ones who did buy her something just bought her a cheesy card and some grocery store flowers, never anything really sweet or that showed that they actually spent more than two minutes thinking about it.

Then she'd moved to Las Vegas and things had been no better, she'd spent the last five Valentine's making an ass of herself swooning over her emotionally detached, completely oblivious boss. Every year she'd sit around and pray that he'd notice that she took care to make herself look a little nicer, just in case he was moved by Cupid to ask her out on what was supposed to be the most romantic night of the year. It never happened. Hell, last year he'd gone to dinner with Sofia on Valentine's day, leaving Sara on her own and feeling incredibly stupid.

Well, this year, she wasn't falling into that trap again. Even when she'd told him she was over him, he didn't really say anything, and that was what hurt the most. Well, screw Grissom, even if he did ask her out, she'd say no, she was sick of the never ending game 'Come here, Go Away' they'd been playing for five years.

As Sara entered the Crime Lab, she was greeted with the humongous bouquet of Fire and Ice Lilies that graced the desk of Judy, presumably from her husband. As she made her way down the hallway, it seemed that almost every woman in the lab had gotten flowers, even Sofia had gotten a dozen roses and Godiva chocolates from Brass, which shocked the living hell out of Sara. Brass was about the last person she expected to have a romantic streak. As she entered the break room, she nearly ran head long into Catherine who was trying to find a vase for the dozen blood red roses she'd seemed to have gotten.

"Hey Cath. Who sent you the flowers?" Sara asked, she didn't remember the red-headed supervisor getting flowers from anyone.

Catherine looked up and smiled, "Oh, Gil got me these. He usually gets Lindsey and me flowers on Valentine's Day. Lindsey gets a single rose and I get a dozen roses. He's been doing it for years. It's just that we were so swamped the last couple of days that he didn't have time to have them delivered to the house, so he gave them to me when I came in tonight and Lindsey'll get hers tomorrow morning." With that, she pranced off towards Grissom's office, seemingly oblivious to the emotion upheaval her words had caused.

Sara stood there, feeling vaguely ill. Grissom had been getting Catherine flowers for years? God, she was such an idiot! Well, not this year. This year, she was NOT going to sulk or worry about not getting anything for Valentine's Day. It was a stupid holiday anyway, even if the legend behind it was romantic in a morbid sense, a day named for a saint who'd died in the name of love. Nowadays, it had been hijacked by the greeting card and candy companies to exploit the fact that men never seemed to have a romantic bone in their bodies. She stormed into the locker room, only to hear Warrick and Nick talking.

"So, what'd you get for Tina? First Valentine's Day, man. You better not have forgotten." Nick teased, his dark eyes flashing with mischief.

"No, I didn't forget. Doc Robbins recommended this lingerie place called La Perla. I got her some really nice stuff. Spent a small fortune, but it was worth it just seeing how excited she was. Plus, she's promised to model some the stuff for me when I get home after shift. What about you and Gina?" Gina was Nick's current girlfriend and so far, they seemed pretty serious.

"I got her tickets to a show she was wanting to see and a bracelet."

Sara could barely bite back a scream of frustration. It was a conspiracy, she knew it! Everyone in the lab had conspired to get their significant others something sweet and romantic for Valentine's just to emphasize the fact that she didn't have anybody. She took a deep breath; okay, so she was being paranoid, there had to be somebody other than her who was single and unattached today. Sure there were, there was…she had to think very hard before realizing that Greg hadn't mentioned a girlfriend or any plans; though Sara had to admit that Greg never really talked about his private life, she'd heard him mention a girlfriend a few time, but they never seemed to last more than a couple of weeks. She sighed, she was kidding herself, a handsome guy like Greg probably did have a girlfriend and plans for Valentine's Day, except that he had court today and probably wouldn't be in for her to ask. Dammit! She slammed her locker shut harder than necessary, but she didn't care, not only was she probably the only person in the lab with no plans for Valentine's Day, but her only possible ally wasn't going to be here. God, today was going to suck.

She sat in the break room and tried not to notice the happy smile on Catherine's face as she set her vase of roses on the counter or the beautiful dragonfly pendant she was now sporting, undoubtedly another gift from Grissom, or how Sofia was generously sharing some of her chocolates with everyone when Grissom walked into the room.

"Good evening people. Right now it seems that Cupid is keeping everyone in Vegas busy with love and romance and not murder and mayhem. So finish up the cases you have and we'll go out if there's a call." He was turning away when Judy poked her head in the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Grissom, but I have a delivery for Miss Sidle."

Sara frowned, she wasn't expecting anything. "A delivery for me?"

Judy nodded, "That's what the guy said." Grissom held open the door for her as she lugged in two large boxes and set them in front of a very surprised Sara and gestured to the box closest to Sara. "And he said that you're supposed to open this one first."

Sara opened the box and pulled out a small card.

"What's it say?" Catherine asked.

Sofia snatched the card from Sara's hand and began to read,

"_From the bottom of my spats_

_To the top of my fedora_

_I want you to be my Valentine_

_Because I absolutely adore ya_

_From your Wiseguy."_

Sara's frown deepened; _her_ wiseguy? She didn't know anyone that she thought of as a wiseguy, a few smartasses, but no wiseguys. She reached in and pulled out a honey-colored teddy bear, and not just any teddy bear, this one was dressed like a character from an old 30's gangster movie, complete with a fedora and vest with a boutonniere and violin case. In one paw was a small bouquet of velvet roses. It was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, even if she had no idea what it meant.

"Oh that is adorable!" Catherine exclaimed, picking up the bear for a better look, gently fingering the little fedora and vest. "That is so cute! Any idea who sent it?"

Sara shook her head, still trying to think of someone she knew that she thought of as a wiseguy. Finally Sofia spoke up.

"Wait a second, there's a P.S. here." She squinted at some smaller print on the back of the card. "_P.S: If you can't figure out who I am, look in box Number 2."_

Sara opened the second box and pulled out another card for Sofia to read.

"_Dr. I.M Madaboutu_

_Is sent to you to say_

_I am truly mad about you_

_Happy Valentine's Day!"_

Sara reached into the box and nearly died laughing when she saw the other teddy bear. This one was a lighter color than the first one and came with wild, spiky red hair, glasses with heart shaped pupils and a little lab coat with the name tag Dr. I.M Madaboutu. This one also had a small bouquet of velvet roses in its paw.

Catherine looked at both bears, "Well, you have two very different bears here, Sara. Any idea who sent these?"

Nick smiled, "Well, if the science bear's hair was blond, I'd almost say someone turned Greg into a teddy bear.

Suddenly, a thought struck Sara. She took the fedora off the gangster bear and placed on the little scientist and started laughing with delight. She couldn't believe it!

"What? You figure it out?" Catherine's blue eyes were wide with curiosity.

Sara nodded, almost too delighted to speak. She picked up the scientist bear, took off the glasses and fedora and turned the bear toward Catherine. "Ignoring the hair color, who does he remind you of?"

Catherine stared at the bear for a minute and her eyes widened. "Oh my God! You think Greg sent you these?" the pretty red-head exclaimed, seeing the confidence on the younger woman's face.

"Do you think Greg sent what?" Everyone turned to find a tired looking Greg standing in the doorway. His tie off and his dress shirt partially unbuttoned at the top and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His longish dirty blond hair curled just a little at the ends, the whole look was sweet and sexy at the same time, especially with the sunglasses she could see perched in the pocket of his shirt.

Catherine smiled at him, "Someone sent Sara these two adorable teddy bears, and we noticed that one of them bears an unusual resemblance to a certain former lab rat." She smiled when she spotted the faint flush creeping up Greg's face, giving away the identity of Sara's Valentine.

Sara's smile just about cracked her face as she ran up to Greg and threw her arms around him. "Thank you so much Greg! They're adorable."

Greg's smile lit up his tired face, "Well, I knew that you were depressed because it was Valentine's Day and I saw this commercial for a company that sells bears for special occasions and since I couldn't decide which one to get you; the science bear would give it away and I knew you liked my fedora, I just decided to buy you both." He paused looking at her, his brown eyes wary. "You really like them?"

She smiled and kissed him, "I LOVE them. They were exactly what I needed to perk up my day. Thank you."

Greg's smile brightened again, "You're Welcome." He ran a hand across her face, both of them oblivious to the crowd behind them. "I should let you go. I just came in because I forgot my book in my locker."

Sara smiled and watched as he briefly disappeared into the locker room. As he was heading back out towards the door, he turned around, "Hey Sara, would you like to have a belated Valentine's Day dinner with me tomorrow since we're both off?"

"Sure. When and where?"

"7ish. I'll figure out the where later."

"Great. See you tomorrow." With that, he turned back around and walked out of sight, leaving a very happy, Valentine's Day blessing Sara standing in the doorway of the break room, completely unaware of the angry looks on several faces as they fished in their pockets for money to pay Nick, including Grissom.

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Okay, this is my first attempt at Valentine's fluff.


End file.
